Sunday, July 06, 2014

Hiker in a predicament rescued from cliff face by helicopter crew

The dramatic helicopter rescue of a man who was stranded on a cliff face has been caught on camera.

The hiker, who was stuck on a cliff above Melakwa Lake in Washington state on 30 June, feared he would not be able to cling on until the rescue teams met him. He was told that teams from Seattle Mountain Rescue and King County Explorer Search and Rescue were on their way, but would take several hours to reach him.

In the end, the rescue was carried out by King County and Snohomish County Search and Rescue. The successful mission was caught on camera, beginning with the rescuer, clad in a bright orange suit, securing his harness and lowering himself down from the helicopter.

The sheer vertical cliff face is in full view, with the hiker, sporting a grey jersey, black shorts and a green rucksack, clinging on to the edge.
He was strapped into a harness by the rescuer and hauled up to the helicopter.
It is not known how the hiker, who appeared unharmed after the ordeal, became trapped on the cliff face.